Employment and Support Allowance Contact Number

If you’re looking to enquire about Employment and Support Allowance, give the friendly team at the Department for Work and Pensions a call on the helpline number below. The Employment and Support Allowance phone number is open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

ESA Phone Number:

*Calls to 0844 numbers cost 7p/min + your phone company’s access charge. This is a call connection service, the official phone numbers can be found in the public domain at no cost or on the official website. We are not affiliated or associated with any of the government agencies or companies listed on the site, trademarks are property of their respective owners.

The contact centre team at the DWP are one of the busiest government departments in the United Kingdom, and they deal with thousands of enquiries every day. Due to the vast number of calls, the team are specialists in their field and are trained to deal with all sorts of queries. On top of this, they will be able to answer all of the most frequently asked questions.

What is Employment and Support Allowance?

Employment and Support Allowance is a government funded financial assistance given to those who are unable to work through either sickness or disability. This government benefit was rolled out to replace the old incapacity benefit back in 2008. With the benefit, those who suffer the most could receive almost £190 a week.

ESA comes in two formats. You could be entitled to either ‘contribution-based ESA’, which you can receive if you’ve paid enough contributions to National Insurance, or ‘Income-based ESA’, which you can get if you have low or no income. This doesn’t have anything to do with National Insurance and you are taxed on this, unlike the contribution-based ESA. You could be entitled to receive one or both depending on your individual circumstances.

There are multiple stages when you’re applying for Employment and Support Allowance, so it may take some time before your claim is approved. The first thing you should do is see your GP or Doctor and ask for proof of your inability to work. This can be a sick note, or a signed letter.

Common ESA Customer Service Questions

Can I work whilst receiving Employment and Support Allowance?

Whilst you are receiving ESA, it is allowed for you to still carry on with some paid or unpaid work without affecting your benefits. This sort of ‘permitted work’ means that you could potentially work less than 16 hours a week, and earn up to £115 per week for a year.

You can also work if it is supervised by the local council or voluntary organisation that provide work for disabled people.

When you initially claim for Employment and Support Allowance, you may be asked to complete what’s called a Work Capability Assessment. The aim of this is to work out whether you are eligible for ESA, and if there’s the possibility that you will be able to work.

It’s extremely important that during this process that you document all of your disabilities or side-effects of your illness, no matter how embarrassed you may be. If it affects you then it should be taken into account. Each case is different, if you are still unsure then call the ESA number above and discuss the details of your situation.

What happens if I am eligible?

If the officials at the DWP decide that you are eligible to receive Employment and Support Allowance, then you will be placed in to one of two groups.

The first is a work-related activity group, which meets regularly with an employment advisor who can help you find suitable work for your disability. If you fail to attend any of these meetings, then you could find that your ESA benefits will be taken away. You must adhere to the strict regulations if you are to continue to receive financial assistance. This type of group means your payment will be limited to 12 months.

The second is a support group, which will provide ongoing help as the Government has decided you are unable to work and you won’t have to go to any meetings. There is no 12-month limit on this type of benefit.

How much ESA will I receive?

Before the decision is made about which group you fall into, you will receive £57.90 each week if you’re 24 or under, and £73.10 if you’re older than 25.

You’ll find out exactly how much you are entitled to receive once your group has been decided.

If you are in the work-related group, you will receive up to £102.15 each week. If it’s the support group, then you’ll receive a maximum of £109.30 per week.

Who is eligible for Employment and Support Allowance?

Individuals who cannot work due to a sickness or a disability may be eligible for Employment and Support Allowance.

However, you will not be eligible for Employment and Support Allowance if you are receiving Statutory Maternity/Paternity Pay, if you are over the State Pension age or if you are in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Keep in mind, individuals who are not UK nationals may be subject to more eligibility criteria. Call the Employment and Support Allowance telephone number if you have additional queries.

Do I have to be unemployed to claim Employment and Support Allowance?

No. You can apply for Employment and Support Allowance if you are unemployed, employed or self-employed.

If you are employed and working, you may have to meet certain requirements to be eligible for the allowance.

For example, at the time of writing, applicants who are employed or self-employed cannot work more than 16 hours per week and should earn no more than £120 per week.

These requirements also apply to voluntary work and work that is supervised by the local council, also known as ‘Supported Permitted Work’.

If you have specific queries about your situation call the ESA telephone number above.

I want to apply for Employment and Support Allowance – what next?

You can apply for Employment Support Allowance on paper or over the phone. To apply by phone, simply call the Employment and Support Allowance customer service team.

To apply on paper, fill in the ‘ESA1’ form on the government website, print out the form and take it to your local Jobcentre Plus branch.

To apply, you will need some personal details to hand, including details of your bank account, current benefits, last/current employment, General Practitioner, and rent/mortgage.

You may also need to provide both your home and mobile number, a recent medical certificate, your National Insurance Number and a recent council tax bill.

Please note: The Employment and Support Allowance team should be able to provide accessible application formats, such as large print, Braille and audio CD – simply contact the ESA helpline to request an accessible format.

How much Employment and Support Allowance will I receive?

You will receive a different amount of Employment and Support Allowance depending on your circumstances.

Your pension, savings, income and your partner’s income could all be taken into consideration when deciding the amount of allowance you will receive.

For example, at the time of writing, individuals who have more than £16,000 in savings may be ineligible for Employment and Support Allowance.

You may also be required to partake in certain activities in order to receive the allowance, such as regular interviews. Contact ESA for further clarification.

I’ve applied for Employment and Support Allowance – what next?

Once you have applied for Employment and Support Allowance, you should be assessed by the government on the extent to which your sickness or disability affects your ability to work – this is known as a ‘Work Capability Assessment’.

If your assessment shows that your circumstances sufficiently affect your work, you may receive a financial allowance from the government.

In some cases, you may be asked to regularly attend meetings or workshops in order to continue to receiving your allowance. Alternatively, the government may provide help and support to enable you to work. Call ESA with further inquires.

Are students eligible for Employment Support Allowance?

Possibly. Students that are already receiving certain benefits, such as the Personal Independent Payment or Disability Living Allowance, could be eligible to receive Employment Support Allowance on top of these benefits.

What happens if I’m found capable to work after applying for Employment and Support Allowance?

If you are found capable of working during your Work Capability Assessment, that usually means that you will be ineligible for Employment and Support Allowance.

However, if your sickness or disability becomes worse, you may be able to apply for Employment and Support Allowance again.

Furthermore, you can often apply again if you have a different condition that affects your ability to work.

Once you reapply for Employment and Support Allowance, you will usually have another Work Capability Assessment to assess your ability to work again.

What different kinds of Employment and Support Allowance are there?

At the time of writing, the two kinds of Employment and Support Allowance available from the government are; income-related and contribution-based.

The contribution-based kind of allowance is comprised of an old version and a new version. The old version of the contribution-based allowance is based on the amount of National Insurance contributions made by the applicant.

The new version of the contribution-based allowance is used by individuals who are eligible for ‘Universal Credit’ – this is a government-funded benefit available to people who live in ‘Universal Credit Areas’.

The income-based kind of allowance is generally used for applicants who are not eligible for the contribution-based allowance and not receiving Universal Credit.

If you are not sure which kind of Employment and Support Allowance you are eligible for, contact the Employment and Support Allowance number above to find out.

My Employment and Support Allowance application has been rejected – what should I do?

Applicants who have their application rejected may be able to reapply via the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal.

To do this, applicants will need to make an appeal against the decision made to reject their application – this is usually called ‘Mandatory Reconsideration’.

There may be a deadline for Mandatory Reconsideration so, if you would like to reapply, it’s important to appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal as soon as possible.

Applying for Employment and Support Allowance

The best way to apply for ESA is to contact the specialist helpline team on the ESA contact number at the top of the page. They are usually open between 8 and 6 on weekdays.

You’re also able to print an application form and drop this in to your local Jobcentre Plus office.

If your application for ESA is declined, you are able to ask the Department for Work and Pensions for an automatic reconsideration of their decision.

You are also able to ask them to explain why they placed you in one of the two groups, or ask them to reconsider which group you have been put in.

You have to request the reconsideration within one month of receiving notification of the decision. Just call the team at the top of the page for some help in requesting a decision review.

Make sure you have your National Insurance number to hand so that the team can process your request quickly.

If you’re still not happy with the decision, you can then request an appeal to an independent body. Again, the contact centre team will be able to help you with this.

Make sure you keep a copy of all written correspondence with all of your decision numbers. During your appeal, make sure that you have fully documented all of the side-effects and conditions of your disability or illness.

Universal Credit

As with a number of other government benefit schemes, the Employment and Support Allowance is on the list of benefits to be replaced with Universal Credit. This new system of benefits has been rolled out in a number of different areas, but you won’t have to worry about how this affects you just yet.

You will only be moved over to Universal Credit once the area you live in enrols, or if you move in with a partner who already lives in such an area.

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Calls to 0843, 0844 and 0845 numbers cost 7p/min + your phone company’s access charge. This is a call connection service, the official phone numbers can be found in the public domain at no cost or on the official website. We are not affiliated or associated with any of the government agencies or companies listed on the site, trademarks are property of their respective owners.